We stayed right there at the Radisson on the adjoining property. A quick walk under the coaster, and we arrived at the small shops that flanked the park (and offered up some good deals on Haunt merchandise). Upon our arrival in California, we picked up our tickets to the event and made arrangements to partake in Mrs. Knott's famous fried chicken at the Pre-Scare dinner. We'd been advised that it was a good deal and would get us into the park approximately half an hour early. The buffet was small, and nothing to rave about, but good.

About an hour or so before the sun began to set, people began to line up at along the rope that held patrons back, and the Knott's Monsters at bay. The make up and prosthetic jobs held up even in the light of day… Many wore knee pads and on their hands were work gloves upon which they had attached various small washers, this aided in "sliding" techniques which we had long heard about and would see for ourselves later on that evening in the park.

While we have had the pleasure of speaking to actors in many of the haunted attractions, there is a uniqueness to those at Knotts, as they are now as much a part of the attraction as the Haunt is a part of them, for they are not assigned roles, they create their characters and evolve with them. Parents who can recall seeing the green witch as a child return to introduce their children to the green witch. And there is a different air to the entire attraction, they ARE out to scare you, whether that means they need to climb up onto a wall or platform to startle you from above or come sliding at your feet, no effort is too great (tho I hear some of the older monsters say that all that sliding is a little harder on old bones), but once they have "gotten you" they have no problem stopping and posing for a picture with the survivor. Some parks view this as "breaking character" but they have MORE then enough staff, and who knows? While you are watching that group of teenaged girls get their photo with a werewolf, something just might be sneaking up behind YOU.

Brian and I received the warmest welcome from any haunted attraction ever by the monsters of Knott's, and we thank them for redeeming their state. For all that we had seen on TV of the "laid back atmosphere and friendly people" they were few and far to come by in the area that we stayed in on our trip. From acknowledging us with nods in the houses to yells of "HAUNTFREAKS!" on the streets, we had a phenomenal time thanks to all of them.

We entered through "Ghost Town" which seems to be the heart of this haunt, and I suppose that should come as no surprise considering the entire park started with an old mining ride to entertain those that were waiting for a seat in Mrs. Knott's kitchen. Many of the older spooks inhabit the corridors of the deserted town, and many younger ones lie in wait to take their place some day... but in all honesty, Brian and I could not pick a favorite area of the haunt, we had a great time in them all.

One of the first things to catch our eye were the cobwebs. Accustomed to realistic spidery webs, the webs at Knott's were made from cheesecloth, and surprisingly it gave a great "cartoony" effect. We would encounter this elsewhere in California, and can not help but wonder if there is a reason behind it (such as the weather not being hospitable to the more delicate webs) or if it is just a regional preference.

Taking a different stance on their haunt then east coast theme parks, they do not seek to reinvent themselves yearly, but rather they expand upon themes and houses that work, occasionally replacing older ones that have run their course with newer, more up to date mazes.
Two new houses for 2003 were Hatchet High, my personal favorite, and The Asylum.

Hatchet High took us back to school.... old school, complete with cheesy a 80's soundtrack. The theme is a meteor has hit a high school and has turned all the students to Zombies. We followed the doomed students thru the hallways to their classrooms, to their "Carrie-esque" prom, to graduation. The detail, the originality, the bravery (in a politically correct world to have a horror maze centered around a school) plus an excellent mix of humor and horror made this house.

Big this year were Asylum houses. While asylums have long been associated with horror, playing on fears of the mentally ill, or of perhaps personal fears of your own sanity slipping away just beyond your grasp, they continue to be among the most successful houses. After the huge success of Busch Garden's "Escape from Insanity" in 2002, it was no small surprise to see these patient playgrounds spring up at the other big haunts this season. Again, it is another house that allows the mingling of screams and snickers and was among the favorites at the Haunt this year.

Old favorites returned again... "Army of the Underworld" took place in the Calico Mine Ride. This haunt is of particular interest as it is with this ride that the event began, and the idea to spook things up a bit began within it's cavernous confines.

Red Moon Massacre returned as well. I am sorry to say that we passed on this one... the night being a bit chilly as it were, neither of us were up for the haunt which takes place in the park's log flume ride. We have since found that the attraction does not soak the participants and look forward to another shot at it this year. Thanks to Chad, a HauntFreaks reader, we know that the haunt is infested with werewolves, and sitting in that wobbly floating log only adds to a feeling of vulnerability.

Lore of the Vampire. We were blown away by some of the sets in this house, particularly those involving the old world vampires, walking thru large castle like rooms, meeting the most elegant of the undead, you have the feeling of walking thru "Bram Stoker's Dracula." Simply amazing, but I found the end with the more "modern day" vampires just a tad anti-climatic. We love the loud beating soundtrack, it always adds to the intensity of a scene, but the characters in this area appeared more goth kid then ghoul.

The Underground was a fun house, more of an adult type theme. Loud blaring soundtrack, Club Chupacabra with scantily clad girls dancing in cages, it played nicely on Hollywood's version of dark underground club scenes... taking them to the most extreme where the participants are not just living on the edge, but are willfully leaping into the darkness that lies beyond it.

The Curse of the Spider was the first house that we ventured through, and I'm afraid the absence of night detracted from our experience, not to mention, we literally had the entire maze to ourself on that run thru. The set up is one that the crowd is meant to be held in a holding pen, with a brief preshow climaxing with the drop of a 20 foot spider and doors swinging open, spilling forth fog, "step into my parlor said the spider to the fly." It is in hindsight, after discussing this maze with others, that I realize I may have underestimated it. The walls of the maze were uneven, cavernous, allowing for hiding spots, giving you that cringing feeling you get when you accidentally walk into a spiderweb.